After a close game in the opening half, the Ramblers were ground down by the Greyhounds in an opening-day loss.

In the 2016 opener for both teams Saturday on Thompson Field, Winthrop/Monmouth showed its grit throughout its 31-12 Class D South win in a battle of highly regarded teams.

The Ramblers (1-0), who visit Traip Academy this upcoming Saturday at 1:30 p.m., rode the arm of quarterback Matt Ingram, who completed 8-of-14 passes for 199 yards and a pair of scores. Receiver Bennett Brooks hauled two TD passes and gained 109 yards for the game. Running back Alec Brown rushed 13 times for a game-high 82 yards and a score.

On the other side, Lisbon never really found its footing after falling behind 13-0 right out of the gate. The Greyhound defense struggled to get off the field on third down, with the Ramblers converting 3-of-5 third-down chances in the first two quarters and earning a big touchdown on fourth down with 16 seconds left in the first half when Ingram squeezed a pass into the arms of Brooks in the right corner of the end zone. The back-breaking score gave the visitors a 21-6 halftime lead.

“That was a tough spot, and their quarterback had a great game,” Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan said of Ingram. “There were a couple times that we had them pinned deep and he got them first downs. That was a big difference in the game. He showed up to play and showed up as a senior.”

The late touchdown for Winthrop/Monmouth was big on two fronts. First off, it gave the Ramblers a two-touchdown lead at the half. Perhaps more importantly, the score answered an 18-play, eight-minute drive that saw Noah Francis score on a 1-yard plunge with 3:37 left in the half to draw the Greyhounds to 13-6.

“Last year it was a close ball game and they just ate the clock up the second half, a game that we just couldn’t get any offensive momentum,” Hilaire said. “After that drive today, we answered and we knew that we had to do that to stay ahead of them.”

Fast start

There was little Winthrop/Monmouth did wrong in the opening quarter. The Ramblers drove 64 yards on nine plays, concluding with Brown diving into the end zone on a 2-yard run for a 7-0 lead.

Lisbon quarterback/punter Tyler Halls faked a punt and picked up a first down on the home team’s first possession, but the drive stalled on the Ramblers’ 41.

On the next play, Ingram lofted a perfectly placed pass to Brooks for a 59-yard TD strike and a 13-0 advantage.

“We like to start strong, and it sets the pace of the game,” Brown said. “We know Lisbon is a tough team, so we wanted to come out strong. They are so tough. Every single play is physical. It is a challenge everywhere.”

“We wanted to get some confidence right off the start,” St. Hilaire said. “We put that first drive together and kept it going from there.”

Late in the opening quarter, Lisbon took over at its own 41-yard line. The Greyhounds began exploiting an opening on the right side of the Winthrop/Monmouth defense, with Jared Glover (13 rushes, 49 yards) carrying the load. The Greyhounds converted four third downs into a new set of downs. On fourth down, Noah Francis put Lisbon on the board.

But, the Ramblers marched 74 yards, picking up a first down on fourth-and-1 at their own 35-yard line. Brooks caught a pass from Ingram for 27 yards and then hauled in the 30-yard heave to make for a 21-6 contest at the break.

Led by seven tackles from Brown and an interception each from Nate Scott and Tyler Cote, Winthrop/Monmouth kept Lisbon at bay. Cote nailed a 27-yard field goal and Ingram broke two tackles before pulling away from the Lisbon defense for a 38-yard TD run in the third quarter.

Halls, who completed 11-of-22 passes for 105 yards, hooked up with Lucas Francis for a 25-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter to finish off the scoring. Halls also rushed for 73 yards to pace the Greyhounds. On defense, Tanton Mattson had 11 tackles. Halls added six, and Bradley Harriman and Glover five each.

“We will work hard every week and try to get better,” Mynahan said. “Hopefully we will play them again and be a better team. Take nothing away from Winthrop today; they were good.”

Noah Elegbede and Antonio Meucci each sacked Halls, with Scott adding five tackles.

“Lisbon will get tremendously better,” St. Hilaire said. “We need to move forward, take care of what we need and keep getting better.”

The Greyhounds visit Maranacook on Friday at 7 p.m. 

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